What Sandy Taught Us About Prepping Supplies

No matter how prepared you try to be, there is always room for improvement. October’s Hurricane Sandy had quite a few things to teach us about emergency preparedness.

72 Hours Worth of Prepping Supplies Isn’t Enough

The standard recommendation from the government is to have enough water, food and medical supplies to last each person in your household three days. Sandy taught us that is just not enough – even for a short-term weather-related occurrence, such as a hurricane. The actual event may have only lasted a few days, but the aftermath continues to this day. There are those that are still without power and/or unable to leave their homes over one week later. Those suffering the most are the elderly and ill. I believe a week of prepping supplies may soon become the new standard recommendation.

Prepare Before You Must

With a hurricane, there is advance warning. But, there is also a lot of speculation when it comes to weather events. This led to many citizens delaying any action until it was too late. Many disaster situations will have no notice or very short notice. You cannot wait until the sirens are sounding to get your family ready. The time to start is now.

Be Prepared for Multiple Disasters

Sandy was not your standard hurricane. It ended up being a combination of weather events. While we typically think of hurricanes as warm water events, this one combined with a winter storm that brought snow and cold temperatures to those in its path. While some prepared for a few days without electricity, they did not plan for freezing temperatures and no source of indoor heat. Preparing for a variety of potential events does not necessarily mean a stockpile individual to each. It may simply mean a few additional items to what you already have stored.

Prepare for the Recovery Stage

Again, many were anticipating a day or two of inconvenience before they returned to their normal lives. This was not the outcome in many locations. There were those without power and natural gas for over a week. There has been a gasoline shortage in many cities that has led to rationing, long lines at the pumps and price increases. Don’t just prepare for the event, prepare for the recovery state as things slowly return to normal.

There is always room to make things a little better. Take these lessons and use them to improve your plan.